Monsoon (2018) Reviews

• Beautifully shot film

  christine-conradt2018-09-21

  **CONTAINS SPOILERS** Jon has never been one for taking chances. Having lived a rather sheltered life as an only child, everything has come relatively easy for him-- and he's about to head off to Cornell to start school in the fall. During the humid, monsoon season in Arizona, Jon spends his days with his best friend and soulmate Sarah whom he never got up the courage to ask out. When Sarah encourages him to go for a drive they end up at Scorpion Gulch where, under the impending storm, they kiss for the first time. Unfortunately, it will be their last. On the drive home, Sarah is killed when a car runs a stop sign and broadsides Jon's car. It quickly becomes evident to Jon that Sarah was the glue that held his small world together and without her, he has trouble functioning. Deciding to defer college for a year, Jon loses himself in discussions with Sarah even though no one can see her. And to make matters worse, the only person who seems to understand his grief is his terminally ill grandmother. When Jon's parents insist he gets a job if he's not going to go to school, he takes a stock room position at the company where his underemployed father works. There he meets an attractive but troubled girl named Caitlyn who introduces him to drugs, partying, sex, and a reckless abandon Jon never experienced with Sarah. Sarah (the apparition version) doesn't approve of Sarah and tries to talk him out of continuing the relationship. But the more Jon gets to know Caitlyn, the more he realizes they have something in common he never had with Sarah-- they've both lost someone close and are navigating the grief in their own ways. Seeing that Caitlyn is helping Jon get over the loss, Sarah eventually comes around to accepting Caitlyn as her replacement. But getting better means entertaining the idea of going off to school, which doesn't sit well with Caitlyn who dropped out of college. Taking some advice from his grandmother, Jon takes Caitlyn to various energy vortexes in the Sonoran Desert intended to heal. When Caitlyn finally breaks down and cries over the loss of her mother, Jon realizes they've both made it over the hump that was keeping them stuck in their pain. Caitlyn's influence on Jon is evident too. He takes his first real risk by jumping off a cliff into dark water which he would never have done before. The choice to do so helps him cut ties with Sarah indefinitely. Although slightly slow at times, this is a really touching story about death and grief and moving on. Well-acted and beautifully shot, the film certainly stays with you after it's over.

  More